Literary notes about effect (AI summary)
In literature, the term "effect" functions as a multifaceted device that captures both concrete outcomes and abstract responses. It may denote a tangible physical result, as when a cannon’s firing is described as producing a sensation of vibration [1] or when chemical properties are discussed in relation to dissolving substances [2]. Equally, "effect" is employed to articulate the outcome of rhetorical strategies—a speaker’s deliberate pause can intensify an argument [3] or a particular phrasing may be intended to evoke a unique emotional response [4]. Beyond immediate responses, it also embodies broader causal relationships and philosophical inquiries into cause and result [5], and can even serve as a marker for contrasting shifts in mood or societal order, as seen when a political decision reshapes economic relations [6]. Thus, across contexts ranging from the concrete to the conceptual, "effect" remains a versatile and evocative term in literary expression.
- The effect produced by the firing of a cannon is that of simple vibration.
— from The Works of Edgar Allan Poe, The Raven Edition by Edgar Allan Poe - The decoction of the root, and so likewise of the leaves, is of great effect to dissolve the tumours, swellings, or inflammations of the throat.
— from The Complete Herbal by Nicholas Culpeper - The speaker paused for the effect, then proceeded with his argument.
— from The Gay Cockade by Temple Bailey - Though Ippolit Kirillovitch was genuinely moved, he wound up his speech with this rhetorical appeal—and the effect produced by him was extraordinary.
— from The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky - CHAPTER XXVI.—OF CAUSE AND EFFECT, AND OTHER RELATIONS.
— from An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding, Volume 1 by John Locke - The effect of this arrangement would be to deprive Venice of a lucrative trade, and to place it in the emperor’s dominions.
— from The Memoirs of Jacques Casanova de Seingalt, 1725-1798. Complete by Giacomo Casanova
